


Tell the Stars

by chanonfire



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Gyuhao, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 13:04:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7619197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanonfire/pseuds/chanonfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mingyu is from veteran idol group SEVENTEEN. After retirement Mingyu continues his career by becoming a radio DJ host hoping to reconnect with his members and former lover Minghao while talking to his listeners.<br/>This is a Gyuhao fanfiction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell the Stars

The stars mean different things to different people. To some, they grant wishes. To others, they provide light in the darkest nights. For Seventeen, they were the stars.

They were.

On May 26, 2035, legendary k-pop boy group SEVENTEEN announced their retirement from the music industry.

“We are NOT disbanding,” said vocal unit leader, Woozi. “We are just going on a long break.”

“Thank you for supporting us for twenty years. We’ll always be the sparkling stars in your night sky,” said leader, S.Coups.

The stars-- they burn out too.

Mingyu couldn’t believe the words his hyungs were saying.

“What do you mean retire?” Mingyu asked looking around the room. Some of the members’ faces were just as surprised as him while others appeared as they knew this was coming.

“It’s Exactly what I’m saying, Mingyu-ah. Let’s retire.” Seungcheol said while looking at him.

“We’ve been thinking about it for a long time and we decided that this is the best thing to do for Seventeen at the moment.” Soonyoung added.

“Retire? Why? We’re barely starting! Hyung, I can keep going! Let’s just not push ourselves too much, yeah? We can release new music once a year, promote less, and not appear on much variety shows... let’s just not--”

“Ya. Are you an idiot or are you just being selfish?” Jihoon glared at the younger.

“No, hyung, it’s not like that.” Mingyu pleaded, he grabbed Jihoon’s hands. “I just want to continue singing the songs hyung makes.”

Annoyed, Jihoon removed Mingyu’s hands and stood up from where he was sitting. “Why are you being like this? Don’t you care for your dongsaengs? THINK ABOUT YOUR HYUNGS!”

Mingyu wasn’t one to cry but his tears were threatening to fall.

“Look at us,” Jihoon harshly pushed Mingyu’s chair away from where the members were sitting so he could get a better view of them all.

“Jihoon, calm down.” Seungcheol said with balled fist but he ignored him.

“Wonwoo hasn’t been the same ever since he got sick. He’s in pain! Did you think he spent Very Nice promotions peacefully? What about Seungkwan and Seokmin’s vocals nodes?” Jihoon huffed and continued. “Jisoo, Junhui, Minghao, they rarely get to see their family. Their parents are growing old, they need to spend time with them now more than ever!”

“Also,” He pointed at Soonyoung with tears in his eyes. “Soonyoung... he can’t dance anymore. Not since he got into that car accident and had to get surgery on his legs.”

“I’m sorry.” Mingyu looked down avoiding Jihoon’s gaze.

“WHY AREN’T YOU LOOKING AT ME?!! WHY DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH WE’RE SUFFERING WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY KNOWN!!?”

“Hyung,” Minghao softly spoke up. “Please stop.”

Jihoon wiped away his tears and looked at all his members. “Think about it carefully.” He slammed the door shut as he left the practice room.

Seungcheol was the first one to chase after Jihoon and Soonyoung followed shortly after.

A pregnant silence hung in the practice room with the remaining members. Nothing else was said after that and the members started to leave one after another until only Minghao and Mingyu remained.

More silence.

“Am I the only one who doesn’t want to retire?” Mingyu whispered.

“It’s not like you’re the only but...”

“What?”

“You’re the only one who doesn’t realize that it’s time to take a break.”

“It’s not that I don’t realize,” Mingyu looked into his eyes. “I just don’t want to. I want to stay with you guys forever.”

“I know ho--”

“You don’t.” Mingyu inched closer to Minghao’s face, “you don’t know how much the thought of being away from you kills me.”

“What are you talking about?”

Mingyu’s lips silenced Minghao. Minghao searched for a spot to place his hands, eventually finding Mingyu’s chest. The kiss deepened when Mingyu pulled Minghao even closer, his lips trailing down to his neck.

“Stop!” Minghao pushed away Mingyu and fixed his shirt. “I told you to not do those things when the members are nearby!”

Mingyu sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Why does it matter?” He spoke softly.

“Why wouldn’t it matter?” Minghao replied with a harsh whisper. “What if one of the members caught us?”

“You’re still with that?” Mingyu let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, okay. Fine. I’ll stop. I don’t see why I try so hard when all you do is push me away. Just like the rest of the members.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Why its nothing like that? I get it. Don’t try to explain yourself. Seventeen... I think we need more than rest. We need a break from each other.”

Words.

The most powerful weapon. A sentence can have three words or three hundred words. One thing doesn’t change, though. The effect it has on you, the person who spoke words, or to the person who heard those words. They can make others happy but if you’re unfortunate, words can give you a regret that you can never undo.

Mingyu formed another regret with his words.

~

One of the hardest obstacles that Mingyu has faced in life was this. The emptiness that settled in after Seventeen’s last concert. Nine months have passed since the group’s leaders announced their plans to retire with the rest of the members. Mingyu, along with a few other members, have realized that this was, in fact, the time to retire. Emotionally, they could keep up with the life of an idol but their aging bodies say otherwise. But that wasn’t the hard part.

Nine months ago, Mingyu and Minghao stopped talking. Nine months ago, the only time Seventeen were together as a group was when they were practicing their final concert. Three months later, Seventeen announced their retirement to the world.

Years later, Mingyu still longed for the person he loved:

Minghao.

~

Two years after Seventeen retired, Mingyu started his own radio show. Today was his first broadcast.

“Live in one minute,” the director said from outside the recording room.

Mingyu drank water and scanned over his script one last time.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1, you are now live.”

“We don’t think about anything when we look up at the night sky. Little do we know that the sky we see is more than an infinite decoration above our heads. It’s a listener.” Mingyu slowly turned up the volume of the background music and turned it back down slowly, “but tonight, I ask you, my listeners, to look up upon this vast sky and tell the stars anything. I will be listening. Hello, I’m Seventeen’s Kim Mingyu. I’ll be back after these commercials.”

Mingyu let out a sigh of relief when the director gave him thumbs up and set the timer to two minutes. Everything seemed surreal to Mingyu. The studio, the headphones, the mic, everything.

“Tonight, I want to introduce my favorite story to all my listeners. It is called The Little Prince. You know it, right? There is one quote in the story that relates to tonight’s talk. I will read it now.”

And when your sorrow is comforted you will be content that you have known me. You will always be my friend.

“As the story suggests, all of us have something that live in the stars. Whether it’s a lover or a friend. I’m curious about everyone. Who are you reminded of when you see the stars? I’ll read the comments while you listen to this song. Here’s To You by Seo Taiji and the Boys” Mingyu looked at the computer screen and read the comments that were sent in and chuckled to himself.

carat1315: my stars are Seventeen oppas kekeke

mingyuoppanoticeme: I’m more curious about Mingyu oppa

iceicebaby017: I have no one that reminds me of the stars... maybe my mom...

“Yes. I see everyone has many special people in their lives. It’s no wonder that the sky is filled with stars. It seems everyone is curious about who reminds me of the stars...” Mingyu paused and took a deep breath in. “As you know, Seventeen retired two years ago. Some of the members still keep in touch with each other while others just... well, at least we have each other’s most recent phone number.”

It felt as if someone was sitting on Mingyu’s chest when he thought about the members that he didn’t keep in touch with. The members whose goodbyes were the most painful because they were said under bad terms. Jihoon, Soonyoung, Seungcheol, and... Minghao.

“It’s okay, though. Even though we all haven’t been under the same roof since retirement, we’re happy. Happy to be under the same sky, even if we’re not together. It’s an endearing quality of ours... to be able to laugh as if we were never separated.” Mingyu laughed to himself and continued.

“Everyone, I have another song for you. It’s called When I Grow Up by Seventeen.”

Mingyu took off his headphones and closed his eyes to the music. Thoughts filling his head once again.

~

Yeosodo, 2016

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have splashed so much water on you.” Mingyu placed more blankets over Minghao.

“No, I had fun.”

“But you’re sick now...” Mingyu pouted at the boy.

“Don’t be like that. Go away.” Minghao turned his back to Mingyu and snuggled closer to the blanket.

“Are you cold?”

“I wouldn’t be under all these blankets if I wasn’t.”

“MINGYUUUUUUUU!!!” Seokmin yelled from outside.

“Go, they need you.” Minghao coughed quietly, “... but come back quickly.”

Mingyu’s smile reached his ears when he heard Minghao’s words.

“Minghao,” Mingyu leaned over him and looked at his face. “One more thing.”

“What?”

“Love you.” Mingyu placed a light kiss on his cheek before leaving the room.

“Me too.” Minghao whispered.

~

“It’s almost time to say goodnight.” Mingyu spoke into the microphone while looking at his script. “While we were on break I was reminiscing about the past and thinking about my beloved members and carats.”

Mingyu paused and continued speaking, this time not from the script.

“It seems that many carats are wondering what’s going to happen with Seventeen next,” he glanced at the director who was frowning slightly but continued. “We’ve been shining for quite some time but...”

Mingyu scooted closer to the microphone, “Even the slightest bit of life that is left in us-- I’ll cling onto it. We’ll cling onto it. And even after our stars explode, we’ll still be visible in this dark sky until we disappear. When that time comes, I’ll let go and let the ones who came after me shine brighter than I ever did. That’s what will happen to Seventeen.”

Mingyu chuckled and looked at the computer screen reading the comments. “It will be painful to let go but at the very least we were there for someone. We were the stars in someone’s eyes. We were admired, spoken to, and loved.”

Mingyu glanced at the clock that had five minutes left until his first radio broadcast was over.

“Everyone, today’s broadcast was not to look back in the past but rather open up to it. Talk about it even if it hurts.” Mingyu’s phone vibrated and the name that appeared on the screen was a pleasant surprise. Someone’s always listening.

He opened the text and smiled to himself.

Minghao: Nice broadcast...

Minghao: I’m in Seoul... want to meet up?

Minghao: I miss you.

“And if you have no one to talk about what hurts you, tell the stars. Tell them what’s in your heart. Scream as loud as you can or whisper only enough for you to hear it.” Mingyu started playing the final song of the night and continued

“Your voice is always heard. This one’s for you. Chau Chau by Deli Spice.”

Someone is always listening.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr @17brightstars


End file.
